Department stores have traditionally used rigid hangers for top garments (blouses, coats, sweaters, and the like). For some types of garment, such as outercoats, they work well enough. For others, though, such as turtlenecks or shirts and blouses with small necks, they become inefficient in terms of speed of hanging. A further problem is that they often require plastic foam stretched over the hanger to prevent certain garments from sliding off. The labor required to apply these "foamies" further adds to the labor penalty. These factors, along with the entanglements which can hinder getting a hanger out of a box filled helter skelter with hangers, make a fresh view toward a more efficient device potentially rewarding.